Critical Lens

           Henrik Ibsen once wrote, “…the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”  This quote applies to characters created by both William Golding and J.D. Salinger.  Golding uses symbolism as a way to further support this in his novel Lord of the Flies, while Salinger does so in The Catcher in the Rye.

Ralph, the protagonist of Lord of the Flies, best exemplifies Ibsen’s quote because he is the last of the survivors to cling to the notions of humanity and civility.  Ralph uses the conch shell to summon and lead the survivors.  Whoever holds the conch, has the floor, so to speak.  Golding uses the conch shell to symbolize what’s left of humanity.  As the other boys turn to savagery, both the conch and Ralph, lose power.  Ralph is left to “stand alone” in his hope for morality and ability to survive Jack’s rival tribe.  Consequently, once the falling boulder destroys the conch, all hope for humanity is lost.

            While many consider Holden Caulfield a very unsympathetic character, he shows great strength in his unwillingness to conform.  In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting hat as a symbol for his uniqueness and unconformity.  Even though Holden recognizes that it is ridiculous, and at times appears embarrassed by it, he still wears it in order to be different and stand out.  Late in the novel, Holden tells his sister that his dream job is to become a “catcher in the rye.”  Of course this is an occupation that does not actually exist.  Salinger uses the phrase to again symbolize Holden’s individuality.  As the "catcher", Holden wishes to protect children and “catch” them before they fall off the proverbial “cliff.”  In other words, Holden hopes to save children from entering the phoniness that he considers adulthood.

Both characters also experience and overcome inner character.  Ralph exhibits tremendous strength in his determination to resist the darkness that takes over his fellow survivors.  For example, he comes close to giving in to the evil within him after killing the boar, but is able to overcome those feelings and remain strong in his convictions.   Coincidentally, at the end of Catcher, Holden is also faced with a difficult inner struggle.  Should he allow his sister to reach for the golden ring as she rides the carousel, or should he make sure that she doesn’t fall?  By resisting the urge to help her, he has given in to the notion of morality, thus left feeling more alone and isolated then ever.

Both Golding and Salinger use literary elements to support Ibsen’s quote, “…the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”  The symbolism that both authors employ certainly makes their respective novels more powerful.